


The Stuffed Salty

by LexLemon



Series: I’ll Build a World Around You [1]
Category: Once Upon A Time In Hollywood (2019)
Genre: 5+1 Things, Domestic Fluff, Everyone needs to get on Cliff’s hype man level, Fluff, Gen, Little kids acting like little kids, Me? Actually writing a Rick-centric fic for once?, My contribution to the Salty conversation, Original Songs, Rick Dalton has a heart, Rick just being a cute dad, Rick’s not a musical guy, Salty the Talking Sea Otter, The power of stuffed animals, Tired dad Rick Dalton, Yes this is a Salty-centric fic, it’s more likely than you think, several time jumps
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-09-27
Updated: 2020-09-27
Packaged: 2021-03-07 16:47:46
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 4,298
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/26670895
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/LexLemon/pseuds/LexLemon
Summary: Rick never wanted anything to do with that stupid sea otter movie. But he may have found a reason to appreciate it after becoming a father.Or: Five times Rick hated Salty the Talking Sea Otter and one time he loved him
Relationships: Cliff Booth/Rick Dalton, Rick Dalton & Original Female Character(s)
Series: I’ll Build a World Around You [1]
Series URL: https://archiveofourown.org/series/1852639
Comments: 3
Kudos: 8





	The Stuffed Salty

**Author's Note:**

> This is my first time writing a 5+1 fic, and I really must commend all the writers that do them for a living. This took me five hours to write, so I probably won’t be doing more of these any time soon. But to all of you that constantly do these, major props.
> 
> Also, since we don’t have any canon information about Salty, my personal headcanon is that it’s a live action/animation magical realist film in vein of Mary Popppins and The Incredible Mr. Limpet. Anyway, hope you like this! :)

“ _Oh, I could hide_

_’Neath the wings_

_Of the bluebird_

_As she sings.”_

Rick Dalton was pissed, plain and simple. He barely said a word on the drive home from the premiere, his head facing forward in a glare and his arms crossed.

Despite the Monkees' best efforts to lighten the mood, Cliff Booth could feel the tension in the air as he drove him home. He stole a glance at Rick's face now and then, the clear fury it possessed making him shift in his seat. Once they entered the suburbs, Cliff decided enough was enough. Rick had to let his feelings out at some point. All he needed was a little nudge.

Giving him a quick glance, Cliff said, "It wasn't that bad."

"Yes, it was."

"No, it wasn't. It's just...not your usual material."

"Exactly. I ain't s'posed to be d-doin' shit like this. Westerns are what I do best."

"Rick, it doesn't hurt to branch out now and then."

"It does when it's f-f-fuckin _'...Salty_ _the Goddamn Talkin’ S-S-Sea Otter._ "

Cliff made a subtle roll of his eyes as they neared the turn for Cielo Drive. "Hey, come on. You're going to make a lot of kids happy with this."

"I didn't do this for 'em, Cliff. I did it for me." Rick could hear how petulant his voice was becoming, but in the moment, he didn't care. He was upset and he was going to be upset.

Rick let out a small sigh as his voice cracked. "I'm ruined, Cliff. I feel it. It's the end of Rick Dalton."

"Whoa, whoa, hey." Cliff placed his hand on Rick's shoulder as he made the left turn. "This isn't the end, alright? There's still plenty of time left for you. There's always going to be new roles out there. You can pick yourself back up." He shrugged. "And hey, if this is the end, at least you got some cool stuff out of it."

Cliff took a quick glance at the backseat, where a bag full of _Salty_ merchandise they'd received at the premiere sat on the floor. "You got a record, a t-shirt, your very own Salty stuffed animal-"

"Yeah, but I don't need any of th-that shit. All it is i-i-is garbage."

"No, they're memories. You'll look back on this one day. I know it."

Rick scoffed. "Yeah. Sure."

Cliff pulled into the driveway of Rick's house then reached into the back to give him the bag. "Look, just get some rest. Don't think about it anymore. We'll go out to lunch tomorrow, huh? How does that sound?"

"Yeah. Alright. I'll be ready."

Rick started to open the door to step out when Cliff said, "Hey."

He turned back and saw his boyfriend puckering his lips at him. Allowing a small smile to creep onto his face, Rick leaned in and gave him a quick kiss, Cliff's lips soft enough to feel like the warm hug he needed right then.

Once he pulled back, Rick took the bag with him and stepped out of the car. As he walked up towards the door, he heard Cliff step out and make his way back to his Volkswagen parked beside the Camaro. Without looking back, he heard him say, "It'll be over before you know it, partner! It's not the end of the world!"

Rick waved his free hand back at him then opened the front door, letting out a deep sigh once inside. He dragged the bag with him as he trudged into his bedroom, setting it down against the wall.

Rick sat down on his bed but looked over when he saw a pair of black eyes poking out of the top of the bag. He walked over and reached his hand inside, pulling out the stuffed animal Cliff had mentioned.

Salty was covered in dark brown plush hair, and he stood up on his hind legs with his arms pressed close to his chest. His stitched mouth was pulled up into a hint of a smile, making him look like the happiest creature that ever swam from Pacific to Atlantic. After all, that was what he was marketed as.

Rick didn't care that Salty wasn't even real, that he was only a bunch of lines and colors someone had drawn to be his screen partner. As far as he was concerned, Salty had ruined his life. And he'd show him just how he felt about that.

With a huff, Rick threw open his closet door and placed Salty inside, his smiling face staring at him from the shadowy corner. He then slammed the door shut and made himself a frozen margarita, hoping to never see that goddamn sea otter's face again.

~

Rick attached a thin pink curtain against a hook beside the window then stepped down the stepladder to admire his work. A pair of pink curtains now covered the window of his former guest room, giving the room a soft glow of color. Letting out a satisfied breath, Rick turned around and faced Cliff.

"I think th-th-th-the window's done."

"Great. So's the crib."

Cliff stepped away from the white crib in the center of the room, setting the screwdriver down onto the floor. Rick joined his side and looked inside, staring down at the pristine sheets that would soon have a baby girl lying on top of them.

With each passing day, Rick grew more excited for his daughter's arrival. He'd always thought about having kids but never expected to actually be given that opportunity. And yet, here it was coming true within several months. And he was going to be able to share it with the one he loved.

Choking up, Rick leaned on Cliff's arm and let out a coo. "Aw, it looks g-great, Cliff."

"Thanks. Although..."

Rick furrowed his brows. "What?"

"I don't know. I just feel like something's missing."

Rick looked back inside and cocked his head. The more he looked at it, the more he saw what Cliff meant. Despite how nice it looked, the crib just seemed empty. It needed something in there to give it some life.

"Maybe some toys," Rick said. "I'm sure s-s-someone will give some a-a-at the shower."

"Yeah, probably." Cliff then snapped his fingers, his eyes slightly widening. "Hey, didn't you get a Salty stuffed animal at the premiere a few years ago? The little sea otter?"

Rick turned to give him a disgusted sneer. "Why the hell did you bring that up?"

Cliff rolled his eyes. "Come on. You didn't throw it away, did you?"

Rick sighed. "No, as a m-m-matter of fact, I didn't. I just hid the l-little fucker so I wouldn't h-h-have to see him again."

"Well, go get him! I just want to see how he looks."

"Alright, alright."

Rick slumped his shoulders as he walked across the hall and back into his room. He went to his closet and opened it up, finding Salty's smile still gleaming at him from the corner.

It had been three years since Rick had to look at the little bastard's face, and his mood towards him hadn't changed. He still firmly believed that doing _Salty_ was the beginning of his career slump, even if it was starting to pick back up after Italy. To him, that sea otter was the symbol of all of his faults, and he hated himself even more for it. He'd never want to subject his daughter to that side of him.

With a sigh, Rick went back into the nursery and held Salty up for Cliff. "Found him."

He placed him in the corner of the crib and stepped back to look inside. Salty almost looked like he was guarding the crib, his body standing tall against the rails and his head looking over the sheets.

After a moment of silent contemplation, Rick said, "He don't match. He don't l-l-look right with the rest of the room."

Cliff let out a scoff. "It's not about matching, Rick! It might do the baby good to have something to hug at night."

"She's still goin' to b-be up all n-n-night no matter what."

"Ah, we'll get used to it." A smile then formed on Cliff's face. "See? It looks like you had a reason to keep all that stuff after all."

Rick's scowl returned, and he gave him a small slap on the arm. "Oh, shut up."

Cliff laughed to himself at the comment, knowing there would be plenty more opportunities to tease him about it now that Salty was back out in the open.

~

Rick poked his head into his daughter's room to find her standing against the rails of her crib. Her curious gaze was aimed down at the floor, but she picked up her head when she saw her father's face in the doorway.

"Hey, Tracy," Rick said with a quiet lilt in his voice. "I thought I h-h-heard you get up."

Tracy began to smile as Rick approached her, her hand reaching out to him and wagging her fingers.

"Come here, darlin'." Rick scooped her into his arms and kissed her head, hugging her to his chest. His eyes began to widen when he felt something soft rub against his chest, causing him to look down. A small breath left his throat once he found the Salty plushie in Tracy's arms, his face nuzzling into his shirt.

Cliff had been right about adding a toy to the crib. Besides Brandy, Salty was Tracy's favorite thing to play with. He was always nuzzled up against her when she slept, and he could be found sitting beside her when she was playing in the living room. No matter how hard Rick tried not to, he was seeing that sea otter wherever he looked.

Rick let out a chuckle as he turned his head to look at Tracy. "Salty's c-comin' with you too, huh? Alright."

He then led Tracy out of the room and into the hallway, making their way towards the main house. As they stepped into the living room, Rick caught a glance of his record player and vinyls propped together on a shelf against the wall.

A thought crossed his mind at the sight of them, bringing him to look back down at Salty. He supposed this day had to come sooner or later. Unfortunately, it was today.

"Hey, Tracy," Rick said. "Did you know S-S-Salty's got a-a special song? Yeah! Yeah, he does. Here, I-I-I-I'll show you."

Rick set Tracy down on the floor for a moment to go over to the records, rifling through them for the right one. He should have known that _Salty_ was going to be all the way in the back, hidden deep behind the others, yet he was still surprised when he found it.

Rick carefully slid the record out of its sleeve and put it on the player, placing the needle on the line for the song he was looking for.

As the opening tin whistle notes played throughout the room, Rick turned back to Tracy and found her thrashing Salty up and down with her arm as she babbled. Unable to help himself from laughing, he reached down to pick her back up and give her a kiss.

"Look, Tracy. Tracy, listen." Rick pointed at the record player with an open mouth, letting Salty's shrill voice echo out as he sang. "That's Salty. Salty's singin'. Yeah, this is his song."

Despite his best efforts to repress every memory of filming the movie, the one thing that never left Rick's mind was Salty's damn song. The writers knew they had a hit with it too, as it ended up being the most popular and well-known song from the movie. This led to it being one of the biggest earworms Rick ever suffered from, and it still managed to pop up now and then. And with the song playing fresh in his ear, it was louder than ever.

As it began to lead into the chorus, Rick gave Tracy a small bounce as he rocked in place, singing it quietly to her with a hint of a smile.

_“So let’s all swim down_

_To the briny, bubbly blue,_

_Where the fish all play_

_With the stars and otters too._

_And I cross my heart:_

_It’s my favorite place to be_

_When we swim there together,_

_You and me.”_

Tracy's smile grew by the second, and she giggled as the song went on.

"You like that? Yeah?" Rick asked her, running his finger over her cheek. He couldn't help but let out a chuckle himself. Tracy's joy always made him happy too. And if she was happy, well, that was all that mattered.

"Yeah, I-I thought you might," Rick said. His eyes moved over to the Salty plushie, whose pink smile almost seemed to glow brighter upon hearing his song.

The cheerful glow only made Rick's glare return, and he said, "This don't m-mean anythin'. I still hate you."

And he kept true to his word, as Rick found himself unable to get the song out of his head for the rest of the day.

~

Rick paced back and forth in the dark of Tracy's room one night, her crying blaring into his ears. He tried everything with the poor kid to get her back to sleep, but nothing was working. There didn't seem to be any real reason for her tears either. She was simply having a bad night. And the more she kept Rick awake, the more he realized that he was too.

"Alright, come on now," Rick said in between shushes, his voice sounding exhausted. "Come on, Tracy. It's okay. I-It's okay, darlin'. Daddy's here. Daddy's got you."

He tried to think of something, anything to get her back to sleep. Music usually did the trick with Tracy when she was upset. But he'd already tried "Oh, My Darling Clementine," and that hadn't worked. He could also try "Tracy," but that tended to work better when Cliff did it with him. And he was _not_ waking Cliff up to help him. Cliff had already spent the entire day taking care of Tracy while he was filming. He deserved a break for the night.

Rick wracked his brain for anything that might calm her down until one song poked through. It was the last song he wanted to be thinking about this late in the evening, but he had no choice.

Letting out a sigh, Rick closed his eyes and continued pacing, unable to help the bitter tone that creeped into his voice as he sang.

_“So let’s all swim down_

_To the briny, bubbly blue_

_Where the fish all play_

_With the stars and otters too._

_And I cross my heart:_

_It’s my favorite place to be_

_When we swim there together,_

_You and me.”_

By some miracle, Tracy's tears had begun to quiet down, softening into low moans. Relief flooding through him, Rick hummed the chorus again until her crying stopped for good and she laid quiet on his chest.

He let out a deep breath. "Oh, thank you."

Rick walked back over to Tracy's crib and set her down in it, whispering, "That's it. There you go, honey pie."

He rubbed her hand for a moment before seeing the Salty plushie lying on the other side of the crib. A slight buzz began to fill in his chest, as he almost felt thankful for the sea otter helping his daughter sleep.

Rick picked up Salty and placed him closer to Tracy, making him give her a kiss on the head. He pressed Salty into her side then brushed his fingers in her hair.

Satisfied with the knowledge that she was sleeping soundly, Rick made his way out of the nursery and back to his own bed, where he tried to rid himself of Salty's voice in his head as best as he could.

~

Rick picked up a bottle of whiskey as he stood behind the minibar, popping the cork off with a flick of his thumb. He could always go for a good whiskey sour in the afternoon, and he'd been craving the drink all day. One wouldn't hurt, right?

He would just make sure that the amount didn't exceed three. After all, he had Tracy to look after.

Rick looked up from his work for a moment to see Tracy laying across the floor near the couch. The three-year-old was quietly scribbling on a piece of paper, Salty sitting close by to watch.

Rick couldn't help but smile to himself at the sight. Just one look at the girl made him a sappy mess.

Leaving her to her fun, he continued making his drink by picking up a small glass and setting it down before him. Just as he was about to use the shaker, a small voice broke through the air that almost seemed to be singing. It took Rick a moment to figure out what it was saying, but once he did, his body froze at the realization.

“ _So let’s all swim down_

_To the briny, bubbly blue_

_Where the fish all play_

_With the stars and otters too.”_

Rick looked over to see Tracy singing the song to herself in a quiet voice, her hand still moving across the paper with a red crayon. He furrowed his brows together in shock and looked down at his reflection in the counter.

When had Tracy learned the words to that? Sure, she'd make him play it for her every now and then, but he didn't think she was at the age where she would be able to sing full songs all by herself. Tracy was moving on to bigger things, and Rick hadn't even noticed. Kids really did grow up fast, didn't they?

A smile forming on his face, Rick set down the shaker and made his way over to Tracy.

"Hey, Tracy," he said as he sat before her. "Did I just h-h-hear you singin'?"

"Yeah," Tracy said, never looking up from whatever it was the squiggles and blocks of color on the paper were supposed to be.

"Yeah? Wh-Wh-What were you singin'?"

As if on cue, Tracy started up the song again, causing Rick's smile to grow as he listened.

“ _So let’s all swim down_

_To the briny, bubbly blue_

_Where the fish all play_

_With the stars and otters too.”_

Unable to help himself, Rick joined in on the song and helped it become a duet.

“ _And I cross my heart:_

_It’s my favorite place to be_

_When we swim there together,_

_You and me.”_

"Yeah! Good job, Tracy," Rick said. Glancing at the Salty plushie out of the corner of his eye, he added, "Who taught you that? Did Salty t-t-teach you that?"

Tracy shook her head with a hum.

"No? Who taught you that?"

"You, Daddy!"

Rick almost cried on the spot when he saw her point at him in a giggle. "Me? I-I taught you Salty's song?"

"Uh huh."

Rick turned towards the Salty plushie and leaned back as he sat on the floor. There was a certain glow in the sea otter's eyes that almost resembled pride, but Rick wouldn't admit it. Not yet, anyway.

Never looking away from Salty, he said to himself, "How 'bout that?"

Unfortunately, that warm feeling in his heart was quick to melt away, as the downside to Tracy picking up on the song was that she never stopped singing it. Every time he heard her start it up again, Rick prayed that this would only be a phase she would grow out of one day. Then, he might finally be rid of Salty for good.

~

Rick led Tracy into her bedroom with a small tap on her back, leading the five-year-old to run over to her bed in a giggle. She pushed herself under the covers and smiled up at her father as he tucked her in.

"Alright, you," he said as he sat on the end. "Time for bed."

"I can't stay up a _little_ longer?"

"No, darlin'. I got to go t-t-to work tomorrow, so w-w-we got to be up early."

" _Again_?"

"Yeah, again."

"Can I stay up for five more minutes?" Tracy leaned over to clutch at the covers with one hand, the other outstretched so she held up all five fingers.

"No, Tracy. We all got to sleep now."

"Awwwww."

Tracy made a small pout, but it was quick to fade as she settled into bed. She reached her hand over to the side then let out a gasp, her body shooting up in bed.

"Where's Salty?"

Rick furrowed his brows. "Ain't he right there?"

"No." Tracy pushed back the covers and picked up her pillow, seeing nothing but pink bedsheets underneath. "Why is he hiding?"

"I don't know, darlin'."

Rick felt around the lumps in the covers, but they were only blanket lumps that quickly flattened out. He then looked under the bed and around the room, but there was no sign of the sea otter among the other toys.

"I don't think h-h-he's in here."

"But where is he?"

"Maybe you l-left him i-in the other room. Let me go check."

Rick left the bedroom and went back into the main house, searching the floors and couch cushions for the toy. Unfortunately, Salty was nowhere to be found.

Shaking his head, Rick returned to Tracy and sighed. "I don't see him, Tracy. You must have l-l-left him somewhere."

Tracy picked her head up to show off her pout and misty eyes. She asked in a quiet voice, "He's gone?"

"Not for forever. We'll just h-h-have to look for him tomorrow."

"B-B-B-B..."

Rick couldn't act quick enough to stop Tracy from closing her eyes. Once she did, it was too late. The waterworks started.

"But he's all by himself and he's scared 'cause I left him. We have to find him _now_ , Daddy! I have to say sorry so we can still be friends. But I lost him, so he won't want to be my friend anymore!"

"Oh, Tracy, no."

Rick threw his arms around his daughter and stroked her back, kissing her head now and then. The further she went on rambling, the more his heart broke into little pieces.

He said over her tears, "No, no, Salty still loves you. H-He's goin' to come back. I promise. He'll find his way back. That's wh-wh-what he does best."

Tracy had quieted down from loud moans to soft whimpers, and she slowly picked herself up. Sniffling, she said, "Yeah..."

"Now Tracy, c-c-c-can you think for Daddy? Wh-Where did you have him last?"

Tracy looked up for a moment with a panicked gaze, her eyes threatening to sob again. "I don't know!"

"Okay. Okay, okay, okay."

Rick grabbed her shoulders and got her to take a breath. For a brief moment, he wondered if this is what it was like for Cliff when he got this upset and had to calm him down. He really needed to thank him sometime.

A thought then dawned on Rick. "Did you have him wh-when you went to Miss Sharon's t-today?"

Tracy thought for a moment before picking her head up with a gasp. "Yeah! Yeah, yeah, I did! We got to go get him!"

Tracy almost leapt out of bed before Rick pulled her back in.

"Whoa, whoa, whoa. Hold on. I think Miss Sh-Sharon's asleep now too. But you and P-Pop can check tomorrow while I'm g-g-gone."

Tracy slumped back on the bed, her hair dangling down her lowered head. "I can't sleep without Salty," she said in a quiet voice.

Rick let out a sigh then looked around the room. Spotting a doll on the floor, he picked it up and held it before Tracy.

"What 'bout Raggedy Ann? Huh? Y-You love her too, right?"

Tracy shook her head. "I want Salty."

Rick quirked his lip to the side. He had one other idea, but he hoped Cliff would be okay with it.

"Would you feel a l-l-little better if y-you slept with Pop and I tonight?"

Tracy nodded with a sad hum.

"Alright, come here."

Rick scooped Tracy up in his arms and stood up with a grunt. She was beginning to get too big for carrying, but tonight could be an exception.

As he brought her into their room, he said to Cliff, "Someone's j-joinin' us tonight."

Cliff had just placed himself under the covers when he looked up to see his two favorite people enter the room.

"Hey, baby bear," he said in a soft voice. "What's the matter?"

Rick set Tracy down on the bed, and she crawled over to Cliff to lay down in the crook of his arm.

Rick said, "We think sh-sh-she left Salty o-over at Sharon's today."

"Oooooh, I see." Cliff rubbed Tracy's arm and kissed her head. "Well, we'll go look for him tomorrow. I bet he's going to be so happy to see you. And in the meantime, you got Daddy and I to snuggle right here."

Giving Cliff a tired smile, Rick then settled into bed with the others then turned out the light for good.

The next morning, when Sharon showed up at their door bright and early to return Salty much to a squealing Tracy's delight, Rick realized something.

For nine years, he'd been hoping a day would come when Salty would get lost and he'd never have to see him again. Once that day had come, all he wanted was to get him back. Losing him wasn't worth seeing the one he loved so unhappy. And if only one person loved _Salty_ —if only one person loved _Rick_ and what he did—that would always be enough for him.

Rick loved that goddamn sea otter. Plain and simple.

**Author's Note:**

> Songs referenced:
> 
> “Daydream Believer”-The Monkees: https://youtu.be/K3syk2VOmRw


End file.
